Money

The official currency of Denmark is the Danish Krone known as the DKK. The DKK notes are found in the denominations of 1000, 500, 200, 100 and 50 while the coins come in DKK 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 including the 50 and 25 ore.

1. Currency Exchange

All major banks in Denmark exchange foreign currencies. Travelers checks can also be encashed in these banks. However, it is possible that large foreign bank notes may not be encashed in some of these banks. Apart from these banks, tourists can use ATMs and currency exchange bureaus to exchange money. It is advisable to carry travelers checks in pounds Sterling, Euros and US dollars in order to avoid additional exchange rate charges. Tourists may also be aware of the fact that they cannot use personal checks in Denmark. Some of the major credit and debit cards that are widely accepted in Denmark include Diners Club, American Express, Visa and MasterCard.

Although there is no limit for importing and exporting local or foreign currencies (except gold coins) in Denmark, amounts exceeding specific limits need prior declarations.

Banking Hours:

Mon to Wed and Fri 9.30am to 5pm

Thurs 9.30am to 6 pm

Some banks in Copenhagen are open from Mon-Fri 9.30 am to 5 pm

Some currency exchange bureaus are even open till midnight.

2. What a Dollar Will Buy You

While shopping in Denmark, tourists might strike a great deal in buying a liter of milk for $1.12 or 500 gm butter for $1.80. A liter of orange juice in Denmark costs $1.55 and a can of local beer is $1.37. To enjoy a milk chocolate bar you would require $1.72 and a can of both peas and beans can be bought for $1.03. A 3-minute telephone call would cost around $1.03 while a taxi ride for one kilometer would be charged around $1.72. Among the grocery items, whole peeled tomatoes (250 gm) may cost around $0.86 and both table salt (500 gm) and black pepper (50 gm) would cost upto $1.72.

3. Telecommunications

The country code of Denmark is +45 while some of the main city codes of the country include Copenhagen - 5, Tele Danma - 291 and Sonofon Mo - 253. The mobile codes of Denmark consists of a long list that include 20, 21, 22, 257, 26, 271, 272, 273, 28, 30, 40, 50, 70, 77, 88, 90 and 922. Denmark boasts of an excellent telegraph and telephone services. Cheap long distance international calls can be made from Denmark by using prepaid phone cards available all over the country. Some of the major prepaid phone card companies operating in Denmark include The Global Papa, Across America, Euro Mama, EverCall and Tele Tzar to name a few. A number of Internet service providers also cater to the needs of almost 3.37 million Internet users.

Some of the standard rates of prepaid phone cards in Denmark are:

Global Papa $0.035 (per minute) 285 (minutes on a $10 card)

EuroMama $0.045 222

Across America $0.066 151

EverCall $0.055 181

TeleTzar $0.045 222

4. Cab Fares

Taxis in Denmark are metered and the fare includes a service charge. They also start at a fixed rate. A fare from the airport to the heart of the city costs around 200 DKK. Normal fares on weekdays are approximately 2 USD per km between 7 am and 11 pm. A rate of 2.5 USD is charged between 11 pm and 7 am. Extra luggage can cost around 3.5 USD per item. A waiting charge of 1 USD per minute is applicable if you wish to halt for a while along your destination. A ride from Copenhagen Airport to the central railway station could cost you up to 30 USD.

5. Currency Exchange Rates

DKK 1.00 = USD 0.17

GBP 0.09

CAD 0.19

AUD 0.22

ZAR 1.02

EUR 0.13

NZD 0.27

6. Taxes

A Value Added Tax (VAT) is always added in the prices of all goods and services. Visitors can get a refund of up to 20% of the VAT from which 5% is deducted as a handling fee. However, the refund is only made if the purchase amount exceeds 55 USD from a single store. To get the refund, tourists need to produce the purchase receipt to the custom authorities at the airport. Visitors would receive the refund amount in cash.

Most of the hotels and restaurants charge a service tax apart from the VAT, and this is included in the hotel or restaurant bills.

7. Tipping

While in Denmark, tipping is usually not required as almost all hotels and restaurants include the service charges in the bills. However, tourists may feel free to tip in case they are extremely happy with the quality of service received from any specific hotel or restaurant. The waiters of most of the upscale restaurants might expect a tip for good service. An average amount of 1 USD to 5 USD is usually given as tip.

Tourists need not tip taxi drivers, as the tipping amount is already included in the fare.

Taxi drivers and hotel porters might expect a tip of about a dollar for helping you with your luggage. Visitors might also tip a low amount to the attendants at the public toilets.